Hanford Fire Department Earns Top Honors

The Hanford Fire Department received the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) top award for fire protection - the Walter W. Maybee Award - April 20, 1999, at the 1999 DOE Fire Safety Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The Hanford Fire Department (HFD) provides fire and other emergency services on the 560-square mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. HFD is operated by DynCorp Tri-Cities Services, Inc. (DYN) for Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc. and DOE.

"I am extremely proud of every member of the Hanford Fire Department," said Bob Frix, President and General Manager of DYN. "They truly are national treasure. They have contributed immeasurably to the safety of the Hanford Site, its workers, and the surrounding communities."

HFD was selected to receive the Walter W. Maybee Award in recognition of their dedication and cost effective approach in the exemplary delivery of fire and emergency services. HFD has demonstrated an ability to respond to a wide array of situations on and off the site - hazardous materials incidents, fires, vehicular accidents and personnel medical emergencies. Additionally, HFD provides fire system testing and maintenance, self-contained breathing apparatus maintenance and Fire Marshal and Fire Protection Engineering Services.

"The award was earned by all the members of the Department," said HFD Chief Don Good. "It was a team effort, earned because this team was willing to take on new responsibilities and work together to succeed."

The award was named for retired fire protection engineer Walter W. Maybee, who began his career with the Atomic Energy Commission in 1962. Maybee later became DOE's Manager of Fire Protection and was responsible for establishing reporting on fire sprinkler effectiveness in the DOE complex and incorporating fire standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association.

This is only the second Walter W. Maybee Award given to a fire protection organization in the DOE complex. The award was created as a means to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of individuals or groups toward the goal of enhanced fire safety, increased knowledge of fire and its consequences, more effective programs and other worthy fire protection achievements within DOE.

"I'm consistently impressed by the abilities of the Hanford Fire Department," said Craig Christenson, Richland Operations Office's Program Monitor for HFD. "They not only support Hanford, they also provide assistance to emergency responders in our community. The Hanford Fire Department is truly an asset."